Hitler's Yacht Was In Jacksonville

In the 1980's, I came across an interesting old derelict sailboat in a Jacksonville boatyard on the Trout River in North Jax. A worker said the yacht had once belonged to Hitler.

I researched the matter, and found that during World War Two, Hitler had an 85 foot sailing yacht built for himself named "Ostwind". His plan was to sail into England after Germany had won the war and accept Winston Churchill's surrender aboard the yacht.

Hitler's plan didn't work out, and the fate of the "Ostwind" kind of got obscured by postwar history. She reportedly sank in the Miami River and was later towed to Jacksonville.

I am not 100% sure the boat in my photograph is "Ostwind", but I ran across another story that said in 1989 that the yacht was transported from Jacksonville to Miami and sunk in the ocean off Miami Beach. It had been purchased by a Jewish group headed by former Miami Beach commissioner Abe Resnick, a Lithuanian-American.

They turned the yacht into an offshore reef for fish habitat, and dedicated it to the memory of the voyage of the SS St Louis - "Voyage of the Damned." A reef is named after the Ostwind.

I am not a historian, so this boat may or may not be "Ostwind", but I'm pretty sure it must be. Too many coincidences for it not to be.

Comments for Hitler's Yacht Was In Jacksonville

In the 80s when I was restoring a wooden Snipe the owner of the salvage yard allowed me to remove boards from the hull. They were two inch mahogany of which I still have half a dozen. I also was able to get several bronze four inch screws. I also took some pictures of the boat that is like the first picture in this story. If you have questions my email is tom@winddancersailmakers.com

Mar 31, 2017

Re: the Ostwindby: Liz Gavilan

According to my deceased husband Bob L. Gavilan, owner of The Old Book Shop on Beach Blvd in St. Nicholas, one of his customers, Horace Glass and his wife Jody, owned the Ostwind and was in the process of repairing it. Commemorative bars from the lead ballast were fashioned and sold to raise money for this project. I do believe it was a storm that came through that partially sank the boat and the Glass couple abandoned the project.

It is my understanding they relocated to the north but I do not know where. I do remember seeing one of the commemorative bars and some associated paperwork, like maybe a flyer, in my husband's book shop. I am thinking this was sometime during the 80's. I seem to remember that the ship was anchored in the Mandarin area.

lgavilan@bellsouth.net if anyone would like to contact me. Thanks, Liz

Jan 06, 2017

Hitler's Yachtby: Ed Drury

I have a Certificate of Authenticity (dated 1972) issued by the Ostwind Museum of a piece of the mainsail from the Ostwind along with a reproduced picture of the yacht sailing off the coast of Florida. Caption under picture says the yacht was owned by retired Navy Commander John Lyman.

FLORIDA BACKROADS TRAVEL SAYS

That's some great history! Thanks for sharing.

Nov 12, 2016

Hitler's Yacht by: Hans Braun

I am a German. I was born in 1945 my father was a Kreigsmarine officer and He told meHitler has only luxury vessel yacht named Grille.

After the war, the US Government decided to scrap Hitler’s luxury vessel, then one of the biggest private yachts in the world. The Americans didn’t want it to end up as some kind of memorial to the hateful regime.

FLORIDA BACKROADS TRAVEL SAYS

Thanks for telling us about "Grille". I looked it up on Wikipedia and it was a huge vessel and like you say, it was scrapped. The yacht described in our article was one of two identical sailboats. This one was named "Ostwind" and the other named "Norwind". The citizens of Miami Beach had enough belief that Ostwind was truly Hitler's yacht that the purchased it and paid to have it towed from Jacksonville to Miami Beach. It was intentionally destroyed and sunk in the ocean off Miami Beach. You can read the New York Times article by scrolling down to our comment on July 29, 2014.

Sep 03, 2016

Ostwindby: Anonymous

The boat was in the St. Johns River my friend and I actually went up to it many times. It was beached in the shallows in Mandarin.

Aug 17, 2016

I saw the Ostwind too near Mandarin, Fl. on east side of St John's river.by: Bruce Taylor

Yes I too recall the Ostwind moored for extreme renovations next to a very big old Chris named Camelot.

The gent that met us just said we couldn't go aboard because of the deck being so wrecked. The man wanted to sell off Camelot & move on. His dream was to get backers for building some sort of attraction out of it.

Last note: I recall the transom lettering quite good as it was professionally done with a bit of flair.

If you know or remember a Bruce Taylor, owner of a boatyard in Orange Park, I was with Dr. David Scales in a small boat we came in from my business. I guess we were invited as prospects for Ostwind.

Great article.

Aug 14, 2016

Hitlers yachtby: J. Byrd

Was docked near Jackie's Seafood kitchen years ago. Rumor was Jackie's brother owned it but may have been just docked there. Was just east of Trout River bridge. I boarded it covertly one evening and secured a rusted deck bolt for a souvenir. I still have the bolt.

FLORIDA BACKROADS TRAVEL SAYS

That's about where I saw it too, but I didn't get a souvenir. Great story, thanks!

Oct 05, 2014

Jacksonville, Late 1960'sby: Jon

The Ostwind has created many tales, and apparently two were built, identical. The Jacksonville ship I was told about, was in Mandarin at one point, or very close proximity.

A friend of my Father's had bought it for the lead ballast. We went one morning, early during shrimp season, probably late August back around the late 60's and shrimped from the decaying deck area as it was tied up to the owner's dock in the river.

It was dark and I don't remember much other than my Father and his friend talking about the boat, name and why he had it.... so the tales continue.

Aug 02, 2014

HITLER YACHTby: Anonymous

I goofed.. The yacht was named "GRILLE"..and was kept in BAVARIA.. After the war ..she was at the Great Kills Boat Marina on Staten Island , N.Y.Then....she was next heard of in Kalifornia...Been a long time...seem to get things backwards....:-)

Aug 02, 2014

HITLER YACHTby: Anonymous

Yup...BAVARIA was Hitlers Yacht....Last I heard - she was in Kalifornia.Was the Yacht that you see all the pictures of..with Ava and the gang aboard...

Aug 02, 2014

Mandarin Pointby: Anonymous

I remember the Ostwind during the 1980s being up on braces about 200 feet off the eastern shore of the St. JohnsRiver somewhere near Mandarin Point, just south of the Buckman Bridge. Bill Mason August 2, 2014

Jul 29, 2014

New York Times Article About Ostwindby: Mike Miller

BOAT HITLER BUILT IS SUNK IN CEREMONYBy JEFFREY SCHMALZ, Special to The New York Times
Published: June 5, 1989

Never mind that the rumors are exaggerated and that the Ostwind was not really Hitler's personal yacht. He ordered her built and was aboard her a few times. And that was enough for the 100 Holocaust survivors.

As an airplane flew overhead pulling the sign ''Never Again,'' the 85-foot sailboat Ostwind - or, more accurately, what little was left of her - was sunk just off Miami Beach today as the survivors looked on from a nearby boat and applauded and cried.

COL HAROLD THOMAS LENTZ, at the end of WW2, was made a military Governor of some sort in Bavaria.His office was Hitler's yacht. But, was it the yacht that was rusty and sunk in Florida?

I seem to remember it in California? Was there a yacht named Baviria that belonged to Hitler?

Anyone know for sure?

I have many SS items and an arm band from the Yacht Col Lentz used as his Office. He also dismantled a bar in the town there that Hitler hung out in, and it is now in a home in Maine. There were also a bunch of SS marked with SS ruins.

Mail me if you know about another yacht..or cabin cruiser? truks1@msn.com I'm in Washington State now; back home in CO by June 19..

Jan 20, 2014

Hitler Yachtby: sail buff

Hitler's Yacht

After the war, the yacht went to England as a prize of war. It was donated to Canada and turned into a training ship. The navy renamed it the Tim. It was put for sale by the Canadian government. It changed hands 2 or 3 times because of the expensive repairs to put it in shape. The boat was renamed Helgoland.

Apr 18, 2013

Seen it .....by: Anonymous

I have recently seen the ship in a very good condition on a warf in Gaete(Italy). It is beautifull despite its former owner. And yes it looks like the ship on your picture.

Mar 16, 2013

Hitler's Yacht rebuilt in Jacksonvilleby: Arron

About 25 or more years ago, A person was rebuilding one of Hitler's personal Yacht. A storm of hurricane hit Jacksonville and destroy the Yacht. This person did not want to rebuild it again and was towed to a junk yard at North main street. I would like to contact this person. please contact me at pazuzuman@comcast.net

Oct 16, 2012

Bridgetender Thanksby: Florida Backroads Travel

Ron, thanks for your observations about the Ostwind as she was towed past the Spanish River Bridge. I have cruised up and down the waterway for years, and you bridgetenders do a good job and make the trip a lot more fun. I'll bet you could write a book about the things you've seen.

Oct 07, 2012

Bridge Tender's Memory of Hitler's Yachtby: Ron in Cocoa, Florida

Hi, I was a bridge tender in 1989 working on the 40th Street bridge A.K.A. Spanish River bridge that goes over the Intracoastal waterway in Boca Raton, Florida. I was working the graveyard shift when a tugboat with a barge was heading South. When I opened the bridge there was a very old looking hull of a sailboat on top. If I correctly remember there was a swastika painted on the rear or front deck of the boat. (It was faded but still recognizeable). I had very strong spotlights so I was able to get a good look.

Sep 23, 2012

Videoby: M Kratzer

I have video from 8mm film of the Easwtind (Ostwind) while owned by Commander Lyman in the 50's my father (ex navy) was crew on the yacht during sailing excursions on the Chesapeake (Maryland). The film was made (I was told) to promote leasing of the ship for private trips or parties. If interested in the video please email me
mustconv66@cablespeed.com.

Jul 26, 2012

that probably is the boatby: Anonymous

I remember the Ostwind and that photo looks a lot like her. She was supposed to be the prototype for the Volkboats. My father had one of those but it sank in the Intracoastal waterway in Ft. Lauderdale. I was under the impression that it languished for years in limbo due to an ideological battle which ended with a certain politically correct group towed it out into the Trout River and scuttled it. I remember that you could still see the hulk at low tide from the old location of Jackies Seafood Kitchen. That would definitely tie into the picture - if someone managed to rescue it. I always thought it was such a shame to do that to such a beautiful boat - especially since the limo of the same owner sold for millions recently. Who was it that said "those who deny history are destined to relive it"?

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